2024-01-15 13:49:22
Fever, headache, cough, etc. Some symptoms of Covid-19 are now well known. However, four years following its arrival in France, the virus has not finished revealing all its secrets. In the United States, a team from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary reported the very first pediatric case of bilateral vocal cord paralysis following Covid-19 infection.
Nine days following being diagnosed with Covid-19 infection, a 15-year-old woman presented to the emergency department of Massachusetts General Hospital with symptoms of respiratory distress. Examination with an endoscope revealed bilateral vocal cord paralysis. As explained in the press release posted online by le site Eurekalert, this paralysis is probably an effect of the virus because, for the moment, no other cause has been noted. These findings were published in the journal Pediatrics on December 19.
According to researchers, vocal cord paralysis might be a nervous system-related complication of the virus. “Given the frequency of this virus in children, this newly recognized potential complication should be considered in any child experiencing breathing, speaking, or swallowing symptoms following a recent diagnosis of Covid-19“, underlines first author Danielle Reny Larrow, resident in the department of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery.
A tracheotomy for 13 months
For 13 months, the young girl had to have a tracheotomy to relieve her breathing difficulties. “She told me she wouldn’t go to the prom with her tracheotomy in place. We decided to intervene so she might graduate high school and go to her prom without a tracheotomy.“, explains Christopher Hartnick, lead author of this study.
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Before concluding : “For a young, healthy and vibrant high school student to suddenly lose one of his important cranial nerves, to the point where he can no longer breathe, is very unusual and requires some analysis. The fact that children can actually have long-term neurotrophic effects from Covid-19 is something that is important for the broader pediatric community to be aware of so that we can treat our children well.“.
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